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NBA Rookie of the Year Voting Still Included Sixers’ Jared McCain

Jared McCain received a vote for Rookie of the Year.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 4, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) controls the ball against the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 4, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) controls the ball against the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ers

After a season-ending injury early on during the 2024-2025 NBA season, Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain knew his campaign for the Rookie of the Year award was over.

However, with the voting results revealed on Tuesday night, McCain was still included slightly. The Sixers' rookie landed a single third-place vote, tying the Chicago Bulls’ Matas Buzelis with one point.

Ultimately, San Antonio Spurs standout Stephon Castle took home the hardware. With 92 first-place votes, seven second-place votes, and a single third-place vote, Castle dominated all rookies and won the award with 482 points.

The runner-up, Zaccharie Risacher had 245 votes.

For what it’s worth, McCain was viewed as an early favorite for the award. Although the Sixers didn’t have major plans for McCain in year one, injuries across the roster left them with no choice but to give their rookie a shot. McCain made the most out of the opportunity.

In 23 games, McCain averaged 15 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He also produced two rebounds and three assists per game.

An unfortunate injury in mid-December forced McCain to undergo surgery on his knee. While the Sixers didn’t rule him out right away, they eventually called it a season for the rookie guard.

Despite missing out on his goal of winning Rookie of the Year, McCain showed enough to enter year two with a guaranteed opportunity to win a key rotational role right away. The former Duke guard is following the footsteps of Tyrese Maxey, who took a major leap by the time he reached year two in the NBA.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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